(SB) Ongoing UF Softball Commentary

I'll give you a story about Mia Williams that I suspect most here don't know. Yes, as others have said, she is Jason Williams' daughter. As an aside, go find Jason's NBA highlights on youtube. An absolute magician with the ball. That's not the story. Not last summer, but the summer before, Mia was playing with Georgia Impact-Lewis in the PGF National Championships in California. She suffered one of the most horrific injuries I have ever seen. Flosports broadcasts that tournament every year and I saw what happened live from the center field camera locked in on second base. The memory of what I saw is forever seared into my brain. Mia slid way too hard into second base. She screamed and held up her right leg by holding her leg under the thigh. Her foot simply dangled loosely at a 90 degree angle. The opposing team totally panicked and immediately ran off the field. I heard that some of their players needed counseling. It was so bad that Flosports cut off the feed from that field for 30 minutes while they removed Mia. I truly thought her career would be over. Her mother reported that she broke every bone below the knee. I have seen the x-rays....brutal. I followed her recovery ranging from being totally unable to walk to working through a long and very painful rehab. Amazingly, she has fully recovered to the point she played a full season of travel last year for the Texas Bombers and has regained or improved her overall speed. Her mother says it isn't a miracle...just a lot of very hard and painful work. I agree about the work but disagree on the other....after what I saw, I consider it also a miracle. I don't know the orthopedic surgeons in California that put her back together but I guarantee they are permanently on the Williams' family Christmas list.

 

Mia's mom also ran track at UF, so she gets it from both sides. I've heard her rehab ethic here in Cent Fl is legendary

 

Great story about Mia! Kid is tough as nails. Thanks for posting.

 

OK. So I read the linked article about Mia. Most of it is right on. But....I have watched Mia play since she played 14U for Tennessee Mojo and, with Keagan Rothrock pitching and Mia hitting a sixth inning bomb, they won the PGF National Championship. I have watched many, many games for both of them since then. Let's just cool it for both of them. The "next big thing"....possible for either or both of them. But they are kids coming into the SEC. Let's stop the nonsense and let them get their feet on the ground....and screw up more than once. And they will. Both of them.

 

This is one of the best and down to earth posts I’ve read on these threads. The jump from high school and travel ball to the SEC stage is huge. Thank you for your input.

 

The great players usually start out very well from day 1. Stewart, Barnhill, Lorenz, and Falby all had fantastic first year seasons.

 

Lexie was Lexie today. While you watch her pitch, you think "this isn't going too well." After the game is over and you reflect, looking at the stats, you think, "that was just fine."

 

Our two errors in the last inning weren't great, but we got the job done. I think there was sort of a "we're done here, let's get on the plane" lackadaisical mindset at the end that won't be an issue when the "real" games start.

I've been down on Longley for years but today was amazing. I hope she forces me to eat my words all season long.

 

EMPHATIC series sweep. On to UCF.

 

Walsh dropped a fly ball that could have cost the Gators the game. I wish Pollard or Roe played second and Walsh was the DH. Her fielding leaves a little bit to be desired.

The pop fly that Walsh dropped could have cost the Gators the game. I'm more comfortable when Pollard or Roe is playing second and Walsh is the DH. I think her fielding leaves a little bit to be desired.

 

The Gators are currently 9th in the SEC in fielding. .972%. They are almost always the leaders in the SEC. Last year their fielding percentage was .981. Very un Gator like. Hannah is missed.

 

I will add, when Walsh struggles defensively it also seems to impact her performance at the plate. Almost as if she cant focus on both. Now that Pollard seems solidified in the lineup we have another flex player that can ply middle infield or OF

 

It is a quandary. Neither Roe, Walsh, nor Pollard needs to have their bats taken out of the lineup.
I would prefer Walsh to be the DP, but what do we do with Roe? I prefer Pollard at 2nd, but she has done well in RF. Can Roe play right field? She is definitely not the answer at catcher. If Roe stays at DP, I say keep Walsh in RF.
It looks like Em and Sarah will have an HR Derby for the catcher. I love both of these ladies. Both have certainly had their struggles over the years.
My druthers would be to platoon them for a while and see if one of them breaks the tie.